Pick up/put down success!

[mokola]

Within 3 nights this is working with ds2 (1 year old), I am no longer feeding him to sleep at bedtime, I'm honestly surprised that pu/pd is working so well and so quickly.
1st night,45 minutes of pu/pd with much crying (sometimes even before touching the matress on the way back down)
2nd night lying quietly for quite short periods, sucking thumb and then mild crying and standing up to be picked up (took 35mins but much less stressful than 1st night)
3rd night (tonight)hardly any crying at all, only had to pick up about 6 times,calming with just my hand on his back and then fell asleep holding my thumb as he had moved my hand round from his back (only took 10-15 mins total).
I shall report back tommorow with how it goes tommorow night.

[mokola]

Well tonight was even better, he gave a quick wah then half got up but changed his mind halfway and lay down quietly. I waited a few minutes went over to his brother to say goodnight to him, ds2 realised I was no onger beside him and again gave a very half hearted protest but I did not need to pick him up and then he lay down and went to sleep (total time 5-10mins).
Now I need to tackle the middle of the night wakenings (usually wakes between 1 and 3 times).

BTW this post isnt meant to sound smug about how well he is doing just thought it may be useful for someone who wondered if pu/pd would work for them and didnt want to do controlled crying or CIO. I am really surprised that pu/pd has worked so well for us, really didnt expect it to be this easy.

[Seona1973]

well done!! You may find a bit of regression in the next couple of days but keep to what you are doing and you will get through it. You should find that once he is going to sleep on his own at night the night wakings will automatically decrease too. Use pu/pd in the night too if you have to.

[mokola]

Well I've been using pu/pd for his night wakenings too and the first night was really hard work but last night was better. Tonight at bedtime he didnt need picked back up at all and didnt even protest when I left the room (this is huge progress!). Funny about the offering water to drink at night thing - he seems genuinely enthusiastic about drinking it (from a doidy), maybe he feels a bit dry. I'm hoping that once he is relaxed about going back to sleep he will do it all by himself with me needing to get up at all.

[hermykne]

mokola , congrats, you must be delighted.

[Tallgirl]

Can you explain exactly how to do this pu/pd thing as DD (16 months) was up and screaming for about 3 hours in the early hours and really cant cope with this any more. dont think CC will work as she gets hysterical.

Thanks

[Tallgirl]

Please help me I really need to get this cracked although she'll probably sleep tonight as she did on Saturday and Sunday night. that's what gets me - there is no pattern!

Thanks in advance

[hermykne]

tall girl basically pick up soothe put down, and use sshhhhing alot then retreat, soothe for maybe 5mins and gradually reduce til u dont have to life at all just ssshhhing.
there are lots more archive threads probaly with more detail.
tracy hogg the baby whisperer is the book it comes form i think!

[mokola]

Sorry, only came back to look at thread tonight,
Tallgirl, I lift him out of the cot when he cries and put him back down when he is calm. Because he is an older baby I wait for him to stand up himself before lifting him up. If it is halfhearted crying and he only sits up I dont lift him just lie him back down and put my hand on my back and say "you're very tired go to sleep". If he has got really upset I have sometimes rocked him a bit to assist with the calming down but still lie him back down awake (dont think Tracey Hogg would have approved of the rocking but never mind). Interestingly enough, the first night he was so horrendous (I had sore backs of legs the next day from all the up/down stuff) anyway I cheated slightly and he was more asleep than awake when I finally laid him down but he still showed improvement the next night! Dont give up on the first try, expect it to be hard at first but I think if you stick with it it should work. There stuff about it on the baby whisperer site as well.

[LOUBELOU]

Does this work when you put them into a bed?
My 22mt old is in a travel cot becoz he can get out of his cot,he is now too big 4 that so I need to get him into a bed soon,when is the best age and the best way to get them to stay in it?

[mokola]

When I moved ds1 from a cot to a toddler bed I didnt have any problems. He was always quite good at being happily awake in his cot looking at books before going to sleep. The novelty of being able to climb out anytime he wanted meant that on his first night he came through to the living room maybe 4 or 5 times. We took him straight back with no conversation other than "its nighttime go to sleep", and he quickly seemed to cotton on to the fact that ,although there are no bars, there is a clear expectation that he stays in bed. Dont remember him crying very much although he must have cried a little as would have been annoyed he wasnt getting his own way.
I say just go for it it wont be as bad as you expect.

[LOUBELOU]

THANX mokola will let u know how I get on ,I am so glad I found this website,wish i had found it ages ago!